Fall Conferences

Ah, conference week. I am back at a school that holds conferences during the first part of Thanksgiving week, with no school for the students for the entire week. It is great to only need to focus on conferences, with no teaching responsibilities in the run up to the holiday. It allows me to go into the holiday season caught up in my grading, making me much better able to focus on enjoying the holiday and family time. In a school on trimesters that begins near Labor Day, Thanksgiving week also falls near the end of the first term, which works out well for goal setting.

My school is 100% in person this year, but we opted for Zoom conferences "in an abundance of caution." Preschool might be in person. Kindergarten offered in person. But the rest of us are hosting all of our conferences via Zoom.

There are pros and cons to Zoom conferences. I get to work from home. This means I don't have to commute 10 miles toward the major downtown area. Tonight I also made a dinner my entire family enjoys instead of convenience food all eaten at separate times. I'm also catching up on laundry. But I also experienced audio difficulties today, both the larger kind that didn't allow me to hear much of anything for half of one conference, and the smaller kind that doesn't allow for multiple speakers to be heard at once.

But no matter how conferences are held, I really enjoy them. They can be exhausting and even emotionally draining. But they are always wonderfully affirming. Students reflect on their learning so far, and set goals for the middle third of the school year. These goals will be revisited during spring conferences at the beginning of the final term of the school year.

Every year many students impress me with their ability to reflect on their learning and articulate well thought out goals. We get to measure  and celebrate student growth while planning for the next bits of growth. Parents often ask great questions and express their gratitude. I get to see family interaction. I am always left with a profound sense of accomplishment, knowing I was built to be doing the job I am doing.

Here is my favorite interaction from today:

Student (as audio is connected): "Oooh! She has a purple wall!"

Me: "Are you surprised that I have a purple wall?

Student (with NO hesitation): "No."